Welcome to the World's First Great Big Vegetable Challenge! Six years ago we went on a vegetable journey of a lifetime. A 7 year year old boy named Freddie and his mother faced up to the challenge of turning him from a Vegetable-Phobic into a boy who will eat and even enjoy some of life's leafier pleasures. We ate through the alphabet of vegetables...and returned to tell the tale. Join our Great Big Veg Challenge!

Monday, April 02, 2007

There is something that I find really unappealing about celery. The fact that you use up more calories crunching on it than you actually absorb tells me everything I need to know. If it was so fantastic wouldn't millions of dieting men and women be marching round celery stick in hands? I did learn one interesting fact - apparently Gillingham Football Club had to introduce body searches for celery in the 90's because some fans were waving the green sticks in their hands and singing an obscene song. It must be the only vegetable to be banned from a football match. Unfortunately for Freddie it can't be banned from the Great Big Veg Challenge as the rules state all vegetables must be tried - stringy or not.

The plastic fruit and veg collection made a reappearance in our garden on our first really sunny day this year. Freddie and Alexandra run an excellent garden restaurant with hand-written menus.Note that in London, spring does not mean skipping lambs and buds bursting out but something far less prosaic. Having said that the plastic veg looked a lot more appealing than the real-life celery...recipes please!

I personally don't care for celery, but my mom and sister eat it with peanut butter spread in the curve, and if you add raisins, in the US we call that "ants on a log." Again, not so appealing to me because I don't care for either celery or raisins, but some people love it.

I really think your Mum needs a good talking to. Doesn't it sound like she's got a really closed mind about this celery? Ha. Maybe she needs her own project! Because isn't the whole idea to keep an OPEN mind? Because you never know that vegetables can taste good unless you try them?

You tell her, from me, that celery can be simply sublime. (Is that a new word? If so, if you like my celery recipes, then I think you should look it up and see if you think it applies to celery, too.)

I was brought up in the fenland of Cambridgeshire - so I'm passionate about proper fen grown English celery. It's not really in season now but if you find a celery recipe you like, try it again when the English celery is in season from October to January. My favourite celery recipe is Celery, Bacon and Chestnut Risotto. Make it just like the Asparagus Risotto recipe on your blog but with the chopped onion fry some chopped bacon (some good English smoked dry-cure is best) and slices of celery (5mm thick little crescent shapes) 2 to 3 sticks. When almost all the stock (good chicken stock is best for this) has been used up add some sweet chestnuts - the whole cooked vacuum packed ones are excellent.Sprinkle with a little grated cheese before serving.I love this on a chilly dark autumn evening but it would also make a lovely weekend supper or lunch at any time of year.

DavidThank you for leaving me a recipe - well leaving my mum a recipe. I like recipes that cover vegetables and I like cheese so I may like your recipe.We will make it soon and let you see whta it looked like.Freddie

AlannaI know - hands up - this is Freddie's mum. I have a negative relationship with celery. But Im working on it, culinary therapy and all that...And with the help fo all these superb recipes we may overcome it...Charlotte

We used to make a thing we called waldorf salad, although I don't know how it compares with a real waldorf: chopped celery, apples and walnuts and shredded ham all combined with mayonnaise. I substituted grated cheese for ham when I stopped eating meat. Both versions very nice: crunchy, fresh and light.